It doesn't seem contemptuous to you to push a vile viewpoint for a mass audience and laugh at it later? It seems to me that McCain, for instance, doesn't believe the whole notion of Obama palling around with terrorists (whatever that means) any more than anyone else he considers in his league or he wouldn't find it funny when he thinks that his base isn't looking.

I don't have a problem with McCain making jokes at an event where he's expected to make jokes. But I am a little disheartened to see it's the first time I've heard him speak about Obama's acomplishments with respect. I'd prefer if McCain had enough respect for the voters to not be so publicly contemptuous of Obama.

I don't have a problem with McCain making jokes at an event where he's expected to make jokes

They were making jokes? Shoot, I guess Obama isn't really from Krypton.

Cool, non-photoshopped photo of a storm trooper riding a chipmunk: [link]

I should not be doing anything particularly important right now. My brain is sludge.

Question for the group: A friend of mine says she's "terrified" of what would happen if Obama wins as apparently he wants to create a national police force. News to me, if so.

Tell her to hide in her attic or basement starting November 4th just to be on the safe side. He may have his Liberal Gestapo ready to snatch Republican voters up as they exit the polls.

It doesn't seem contemptuous to you to push a vile viewpoint for a mass audience and laugh at it later?

I guess it would, but I don't think that's what's going on. Again, I haven't watched it. But I don't think making a joke about X is the same thing as finding X amusing all by itself. I mean, if they are, I must think that murdering babies is the funniest thing ever.

Breaking into the politics stuff with an odd request....

Do any of you have copies of Handmaid's Tale, 1984, Brave New World, or Lord of the Flies that you'd be willing to part with? Starting November 17, we are going to be studying these books and I have just found out that the school has rejected my request to purchase these books. I have some used copies and would love to accumulate as many used books as I can (I need 65 total of Handmaid's Tale, and then 15 of each of the others) before I go out to buy new ones.

Please please please. If you have a copy on your bookshelf and you don't need it, would you consider sending it to me?

I recently purchases Brave New World with the intention of re-reading it - I'll get right on that so I can send it to you. I'm pretty sure I have Handmaid's Tale around, so if I find it I'll send it as well.

You can send your snail address to my profile addy....

So do you need these by Nov 17? or before that?

Kat, let me put the word out at school. Our students buy their own books, and some of them may be willing to part with their old copies. Their copies my have annotations, though--I assume you'd prefer clean copies?